Category: Marry Me In Tuscany Loves….

It’s a great pleasure for me to be finally able to release this shooting of Adorn invitations: always loved cherry and burgundy as wedding color and in this really hot summer they remind me that fall is just couple of months away!!!

Adorn Invitation’s dreamy and ethereal fairytale of a styled shoot did not turn out as originally planned, and their styling team can say that they mean that in the most loving way. At first, the team’s mood board was filled with dark and brooding influences and rich shades of oxblood and cherry. As you can see, the end result was a feminine and romantic wonderland of lavender, blush and luxe metallics.
The team want our brides to take something important away from this change in their initial vision, which is to let your ideas run wild and free during your wedding planning. Things may not turn out exactly the way you originally hoped, but that doesn’t mean it won’t turn out magically and as it was meant to. Be open to the ever-changing direction your big day will take. Sometimes it’s like it has a life of its own, but as long as it’s authentic to you, let it happen as it may. Be open to adapting your initial ideas and desires. Though their ideas were ever-changing, they achieved the main objective that lied at the heart of the shoot which was to create something that the bridal world hasn’t been seen before.

flowers decorations

beautiful table setting

The styled shoot embodied a sense of enchantment that truly captivates you with its luxe bohemian appeal that has been married with a strong lavender palette – a true yet unpredictable match made in heaven. Lavender in weddings is a hard colour to play with, but the team were dedicated to giving it a modern, chic and elegant appeal which we think they flawlessly achieved!
The contemporary touches of ivory and metallics against the pastel lavender shade and set amongst an enchanting lavender field created the right balance and was well harmonised. As a bride, Adorn advise you to not be afraid to go for a look that is unconventional or untraditional, as long as it’s in sync with you and your partner and rightly reflects the two of you as a couple, there’s no going wrong!
Take a look at the stunning shoot below:

This lovely couple contacted me in early January, they live in Uganda. She is American and he is Ugandan and this posed the biggest challenge for them to fulfil their dream of getting married in Tuscany. Benjamin had to travel many times to Kampala to be able to receive his certificate of capacity . The process for Catherine was much easier as she could do all her paperwork here in Tuscany.
It also entailed many calls, Skype calls and WhatsApp calls between them, their French wedding planner and myself, often over bad lines. They had so much difficulty in getting their paperwork from Uganda, including when the certificate of capacity came through to Rome. My assistant had to travel to Rome in order to get it from the Ugandan embassy there. They issued an incorrect document and we had to request it to be done over twice! Finally, after having to send the text to the Embassy which should have appeared on the document, we received the third document and it was correct!

Mosaic on the Giardino BardiniOn the benches of the Giardino Bardini

When they arrived in Italy, they went to the tribunal to obtain their first Atto Notoria and then the document at the US embassy in Florence was easy to get. It was very important to Benjamin and Catherine that they receive their legal wedding certificate so that their union be recognised in both the United States and Africa and so all of this effort was worth it for them to achieve this goal.
Once they had their Nulla Osta legalised, they were ready for their pre-verbal the following afternoon. The day after was the day of the wedding.

A kiss in the garden

The cat of Giardino Bardini

One of my favorite pictures

They finally pronounced their vows to each other in a lovely ceremony on a sunny day in the beautiful Giardino Bardini in Florence, surrounded by their families from the US and Uganda. After so much effort to get all the documents (it really as a nightmare to get all of them), it truly was a joyful celebration of love! The couple mode then to the city center to take some picture close to the River Arno and the carousel of Piazza della Libertà: I really love this style and cannot be more happy to have worked again with Sebastian for this wedding in Florence!

Everybody has in his life a certain number of places where you feel like at home: a summer house where you spent holidays when you wee a child, a nice garden where you used to play, a shop in which you only buy a certain kind of clothes ….. well, this wedding reminds me of a lovely period spent in one of the most romantic and lovely places of the world, Chianti also known by the english people as “chiantishire”

It was’t difficult for Monika and Marcel to choose their final wedding venue once they tried the delicious menus prepared from the house chef: from salads made with organic vegetables to pastas and scrumptious meat paired with wine sauce, the coupe was delighted to start planning their dream day at Villa Delia.

Harvest salad in Chianti

Cocktail buffet to start…

The planning task was really easy as the bride already knew how the day had to be : something simple but elegant, in the middle of the country with the closest family and friends. They decided to get legally married in the townhall of Siena, then to have a symbolic ceremony back at the villa. We created a board on Pinterest where we could share ideas with our florist and then the idea of creating some decoration with fruits and flowers for the dinner appeared. It could have not been possible with the creativity of the bride who wanted something elegant and natural, so silver cups and tea pots, lots of season flowers and peaches were the main theme.

Menu

Table decoration

Table decoration

Table decoration

The ceremony was in the garden overlooking the valley under the shadow of an old oak tree:

After the ceremony all the people had an aperitif in the small garden where all the guests enjoyed a glass of bubbles with some tuscan delicacies. The table for the wedding breakfast was set in the same spot of the ceremony with some country lights hanging from the trees: the dancing floor was in the main stables to allow the couple to dance the night away until very very late….! At this time I was luckily at home but I’ll remember this wedding as one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. If you like this wedding and want to see more pics from the talented Rossini Photography just scroll down!! Ciao ciao Hewelin XXX

Once you’re decided for a destination wedding and found that Marry me in Tuscany is your wedding planner it’s time to start thinking about sending invitations!!

First step will be sending save the date cards: for all these couples planning a destination wedding this is really an important part of the process as it will give your guests the idea of the theme of your special day. Moreover they’ll know when and will start saving pennies for the big day a lot in advance!!!As destination wedding planners we are rarely involved with helping couples choose their wedding invitations but as professional “helpers” we are very often asked about help with theme or colors that will have to remind about the style of the venue, of the city or simply something typical of the region like here sunflowers or olive branches.

I just had the opportunity of visiting a couple of wedding fairs in Italy and Uk where I took some pictures of wedding invitations, from simple ones to very trendy

Renaissance design with bow

Renaissance with green bow

Classic with beige bow

but one I really loved was this one in black and white paper with matching black bow around

most of them like these are very elegant but to be honest I really like something more coloured for this day like this romantic one with birds hidden under a paper tree laser cut sheet.

I just had the opportunity browsing my favorite app (Pinterest) to know Eloise from Adorn invitation a company specialized in wedding invitations based in London who sent me the preview of a great work they’ve done for the famous actress of Ugly Betty and Desperate housewives, Vanessa Williams.

Vanessa Williams and now-husband Jim Skrip first discovered Adorn Invitations on Pinterest whilst gathering wedding inspiration. The couple loved Adorn’s invitations so much that they got in contact with the London- based design company straight away to see if they could help create a custom invitation with matching wedding stationary.

The Adorn team took this as a great opportunity to showcase their full design abilities; and after gaining as much information and inspiration about the couple and their wedding details as possible, the team got straight to work. With the knowledge that Vanessa and Jim met in Egypt, and were therefore basing their wedding

theme around that exotic destination, Adorn compiled hundreds of colour, texture and pattern combinations to pitch to the couple. Mood boards were created and continuous samples were sent to the couple, along with endless amounts of back and forth communication, before coming to a final design decision.

Vanessa had shared so many of her wedding details with the Adorn team that they were able to match the couple’s wedding invitations perfectly to reflect the soon-to-be extravagant wedding. The laser cut design on the front of the invitation was a pattern replication from one of Vanessa’s wedding gowns, the theme colors of gold and Marsala complimented the flower centrepieces and table décor that were to be present on their special day, and the 14-carat gold plated lotus leaf that was hand-applied to every single invitation was designed to reflect the lotus leaf that Jim had incorporated in Vanessa’s personally designed engagement ring.

Adorn approach every custom design order with this amount of commitment; which is why regardless of the couple, their invitations are always strikingly unique! With the permission of many couples, Adorn have made some of their previous custom designs available to the public, which has added to their already impressive vast range of invitations. After working with so many different couples the Adorn team have mastered the art of predicting invitation trends, regardless of the time of year.

Outdoor weddings are always extraordinarily popular throughout Spring and Summer; with this in mind Adorn have created a range of stunning laser cut pockets that reflect glorious natural settings. These pockets then house inner cards with romantic floral designs in a range of different colours, or can frame a simplistic singular background colour. The Adorn team strive to impress their customer which is why they deem pop-up invitations as one of their favourite styles. Pop-up invitations are so intricate and unique that any guest receiving them will be blown away by the technique and effort that goes into producing every single one of these invites.

Another style that Adorn raves to be extremely popular is the combination of rustic themes with elegant metallic. Rustic weddings are suitable for any time of year, and can be celebrated in any form of venue – inside or out. Brown textured craft paper is an effortless way to add a rustic vibe to any invitation; the earthy colour

and texture is a perfect reflection of the countryside theme. Contrasting this carefree look with a classy foiled print, and vintage white lace-styled laser cut, really do prove that opposites attract!

Adding a 3D embellishment such as twine or ribbon will bring any invitation to the next level! Elements that encourage your guests to physically feel your invitation, rather than just look at it, are more likely to evoke their senses and expand their appreciation for the effort that you, and your designers, have gone to in creating such a beautiful piece of artwork.

Much Like Vanessa and Jim, the Adorn team know that modern couples want every single item of their wedding stationary to completely match. Continuity has never been more important throughout a wedding which is why Adorn have ensured that all of their invitations offer at least 12 matching accessory cards per invitation design. Keeping your wedding stationary matching looks professional, and allows one to leave a memorable impression of their wedding theme that guests are sure to never forget!

Here at Marry Me in Tuscany as destination wedding planners we very rarely get involved with helping couples choose their wedding stationery, but it’s an important part of the wedding, it sets the tone of how the event will be, colour schemes, and information about the wedding. With destination weddings it’s so important to send out save the dates, guests that you really want to be at your wedding need a little advance notice so they can plan their trip and also save the pennies for your special day. I’ve known Helen from Celebration Invitations for a while now and just love her work as I’m sure you will too, so with out further adieu I’ll hand you over to Helen so she can give you the low down on current trends and the vast choice available to you for your wedding stationery.

Hi I’m Helen from Celebration Invitations I’m the owner of Celebration Invitations based in the Yorkshire Dales in the North of England where we produce bespoke stationery for any celebration and specialize in Wedding Stationery. This year we have had some great requests from couples the most recent being Natalie and Joe for 2015 requesting an explosion box wedding invitations.

Natalie and JoeNatalie and Joe

You’ve heard it before many times I know, your wedding invitations will give your guests a glimpse of what they are to experience on your big day, I think Natalie and Joe’s guests must be really excited. An extremely bespoke invitation including, the invitation, a gift poem, and RSVP card and self addressed envelope with Vintage Roses, Hydrangea’s, and cotton lace. The colours to be expected on the day – Light grey and pink, this delicate soft colour combination works so well together.
It’s good to stay on trend but who wants their wedding to be just like the next persons, so here at Celebration Invitations we will discuss any options you would like us to follow.

Many couples including Brad and Angelina have got their kids involved as we saw with their children drawings on Angelina’s veil it’s a great way to include the children and make them feel part of the celebrations and preparations for the big day, here’s one of this years invitations designed by the children in the family. Tom emailed their drawings over and we incorporated them into their stationery as he requested.

Tom and Tracey chose the popular brown kraft pocketfold invitation but please remember your postage costs which are now based not only on weight but also on the thickness of the contents. I wonder if this is why we are getting more requests for the folded card with maybe one information card to be included which could be printed on both sides like Jayne and Paul?

This Scripta Invitation is a timeless classic which can be colour coordinated with your Wedding theme, Anniversary or Vow Renewal using some of our fabulous ribbons. It could be used for both Day and Evening guests with the appropriate wording used on the insert. It is available in Opal, Ice white and Quartz pearlescent card and a ribbon of choice.

Then I couldn’t resist and had a little play with it and added a pocket, and some embossing and of course a little bling!

We offer a full range of stationery from ‘Save the date’ through to ‘Thank you’ cards, we’re a kind of one stop shop, including, guest books,table plans,place names, table numbers, menus, handmade truffles for favours or gifts, Order of service, confetti cones, biodegradable dried petals and baskets to put them in so you don’t have to go looking around from one company to another to complete the look you’re after. We deliver anywhere in the UK and are happy to discuss posting abroad.
It’s a good idea if your marrying abroad to send out Save the date cards in good time, perhaps the year before if you can, so guests are able to plan ahead both financially and to book time off work.

Here are a few of examples of ‘Save the date’ cards used by two couples, their stationery coordinated throughout.

However recently, we had two couples who wanted something different and although all their Wedding Day and ‘On the Day’ stationery co-ordinated they chose to use their wedding photos for their Thank you cards.

I hope this shows you how versatile we are at Celebration Invitations. You can make your stationery as unique as yourselves, limited only by your imagination. Here are a few more images to give you a flavour of what we could do for you. You can find more information on our website www.celebrationinvitations.co.ukand you can contact us at info@celebrationinvitations.co.uk and we’d love you to like us over on our page on Facebook by clicking on this link.

As a Destination wedding planner in Tuscany I sadly don’t normally get involved with helping a bride to find her perfect dress and only see the breath taking gowns in the flesh either as I’m running them to the Lavanderia to be pressed pre wedding or on the morning of the wedding usually hanging up all ready for the bride to step into it and look utterly gorgeous. So you can imagine how delighted I was when I got invited to meet wedding gown designer Lucio Antonucci from “Le Fiabe di Lucio” (Lucio’s fables) and visit him at his studio, which is located just a stone’s throw away from the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

I first met Fabio his marketing manager on the famous bridge and we walked the short distance to meet the maestro, when the door to his studio opened I was greeted by the sweetest, kindest man who welcomed me as an old friend made me a delicious strong Italian coffee and made me feel at home instantly. I felt as if I had known him for years as we chatted about his work and all things weddings. I can see why brides would trust him with the most important decisions for their wedding, he’s fun and so easy and interesting to talk to that you can easily be swept away with the creativity which is buzzing in the room.

Lucio’s studio is like an Aladdin’s cave and there are so many wonderful things to fest your eyes on it’s difficult to know where to begin… Lush fabrics are just about everywhere, the mannequins’ with dresses seemly ready for the bride to pop in for her next fitting and finished dresses hanging up just waiting to be collected for their grand entrance be it in a church or civil ceremony you just know that the bride is going to feel like a million dollars, the groom is going to be blown away with how wonderful she looks and the guests will gasp when they see her in her unique “Lucio” creation. There are shoes, veils and accessories and boxes and boxes of wedding goodies all beautifully arranged, I was like a kid in a sweetshop with all those tactile, yummy fabrics to touch and see and there was lots of oohing and ahhing coming from me during my visit.

Lucio Antonucci, is a designer of Haute Couture, high end totally unique wedding dresses, no two designs are ever the same and his wedding gowns are almost etheral, so light and playful, just perfect for a hot summer’s day wedding in Tuscany. He works closely with the bride to come up with the perfect wedding gown for the occasion and then sews them all by hand, a true labour of love and as you can see from the images below there are some truly gorgeous creations.

As I left Lucio he gave me a wonderful little gift of a black feather brooch which will no doubt make many appearances at future weddings and something that I will cherish for a long time to come.
Thank you Lucio for giving up your morning to give me a glimpse of your wonderful Haute Couture world, now all I need is a bride who would like one of Lucio’s wonderful gowns so they have a truly Tuscan wedding.

I love my job as a wedding planner, in September I was contacted by Maryse from Ballooning in Tuscany asking me if I would be interested in proposing balloon flights to my couples and their friends and family that come out to Tuscany for their wedding. Would I ever!! Hot air ballooning has for as long as I can remember been on my bucket list so when Maryse invited me to take a flight over Tuscany I just jumped at the chance. So one day in early October I left Siena with my friend Silvia to drive down to Montisi where the balloon launch site is. As we all gathered excitedly in the field waiting for the ballooning in Tuscany team to unload the basket and the envelope we were all giddy like school kids going on a school trip.

With expert precision they inflated the hot air balloon first with cold air and then put the burners on to heat the envelope up and as it started to fill the basket flipped upright..brilliant! October is the end of the season as the weather can be a little temperamental and as there was a big black cloud lurking our captain Chris did some final weather checks to see if we would be able to go up, as a great believer in the sun dances and positive thoughts for the weather we all blew the clouds away and we were able to climb into the basket there were 16 of us on this flight so there were 4 of us in each compartment of the balloon with Chris in the middle flying the balloon and with a blast of gas we finally took off. The balloon lifted so gently off the ground and gained height a group of walkers had stopped to watch so we bid them farewell and headed off on our adventure.

Ballooning really does give you a birds eye view of the countryside and as we floated over Montisi you could almost touch the roof tops.. we saw wild life wild boar running through the woods, deer and rabbits and with the changing colour of the trees we got to see autumn from a very different angle.

I always imagined that it would be windy up there but Chris explained that you only feel the wind when you are changing direction and it’s true there was a calmness in the balloon that was so peaceful just you and the wind taking you on an adventure where you hardly feel like your moving. It was exhilarating!

After drifting over the countryside and spotting wild boar and deer and almost peeping into people’s homes we made it over the Siena-Bettole Road and came down to the smoothest landing – I think I can safely say now that the landing was the thing that had worried me the most, images of the basket tipping, and various other things had gone through my head with the possible scenarios of what I would do if that happened… with their expert team I think I can safely say that we were all in very safe hands and that I have an imaginative mind… 😉 I guess I wouldn’t be good at my job if I didn’t do the what ifs?? 😉

We drove back to the launch site and were greeted with a lovely breakfast buffet of cold cuts, cheese and of course a well deserved glass or two of bubbly to celebrate our unique experience of ballooning in Tuscany.

I really can’t think of a better way to finish off or start your wedding celebrations in Tuscany than taking a balloon flight with your new husband/wife or of course you could hire out the whole balloon and take the wedding party up there and if you wanted somewhere totally unique for a small symbolic wedding, why not take a wedding celebrant with you and exchange your wedding vows in the clouds with glorious views as far as the eye can see.

Thank you so much Maryse for fulfilling one of my dreams and for such a wonderful morning floating above Tuscany.

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Hi I'm Hewelin, I was born in Siena and have worked in hospitality and events in Europe since leaving school. On returning to Siena in 2006 I focused on events for groups: weddings and conferences. My passion became weddings, all the details of the day and making sure that couples have the best day of their lives is what drives me. I speak English, Spanish, French, German and of course Italian so there will be no problem communicating and understanding your hopes and dreams for your big day.

If you would like more detailed information of the services I offer, please email me.

Please let me know the date of your wedding, the area you are interested in, number of guests and I'll do the rest. As I run a very personal service where the weddings are tailor-made to suit your requirements, I would love to speak to you about your hopes and dreams for the wedding. Please include your phone number and a good time to call you.
- Hewelin x